updated 10:42 am EST, Fri February 21, 2014

New images of the HTC Desire 8 have been unearthed, as well as more claimed specifications of the smartphone. The marketing images from Weibo also suggest the manufacturer will be launching the mid-ranged device early next week, possibly at Mobile World Congress, despite the rumored flagship M8 expected to launch on the later March 25th.

The renders spotted byAndroid Community shows the device will be available in dark blue, as well as the white version leaked earlier. One image notes the 24th of February, something which matches up to the first day of the trade show in Barcelona, and could be a sign of a dual launch at both Mobile World Congress and Beijing.

HTC Desire 8

Specifications from @evleaksstate the HTC Desire 8 will have a quad-core 1.6GHz processor, a 5.5-inch 720p display, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of storage with microSD expansion, BoomSound audio, a rear 13-megapixel camera, and a front-facing 5-megapixel version. It will apparently be available in black, white, red, yellow and purple, though there is no mention of blue.

If the Desire 8 is launched at the start of next week, it will not be the only device HTC will bring to the event. Yesterday, it was reported the company was preparing to show one or more smart watches, though behind closed doors rather than as a public announcement.